An Autumn Weekend Upstate: Where + Wear
Leaving the City to drive "Upstate" into Hudson Valley is a seasonal rite of passage for most New Yorkers. Hundreds of city dwellers head up the Hudson to peep at leaves, apple pick and stay in quaint inns boasting Crayola colored Fall foliage.
For my Autumn excursion this year, I mapped out all best places that line The Hudson River for a truly Fall weekend upstate. I grew up doing outdoor activities like apple picking so I packed the essential accessories (i.e. Hunter Boots), plus a few more things to take my style from classic country to country chic. I also managed to indulge in some things beyond apple picking, like seeing some great art, drinking craft beer and eating some fantastic farm to table food.
A weekend in Hudson Valley combined the best of both of my worlds - genuine Autumn outdoor fun (New England style) and food and culture worthy of New York Standards.
Do: Fishkill Farms offers apple picking plus a market of their fresh provisions like pies, apple butter, hard cider and pumpkins. Enjoy the live music and sip on libations after you gather your apples.
Imbibe: Check out gastropub The Hop in the quaint town of Beacon for elevated pub food (tater tots included) and a fantastic craft beer selection. Beer flights highly recommended.
See: After lunch, head to the art museum Dia: Beacon for a fantastic showing of contemporary installations in a sprawling space surrounded by 27 acres of grade A foliage on the banks of The Hudson River. The museum, which opened in 2003, is housed in a former Nabisco factory that is now houses art collections from 1960 to today in it's 300,000 square feet of space.
Stay: The newly opened Hasbrouck House is the perfect inn to make you feel like you've really escaped the city. The main stone house dates back to 1757 and there are fireplaces and cider cocktails to enjoy while you warm your feet. With private gardens, a pool and of course, vintage soaking tubs in every room, a weekend here will satisfy all your Upstate desires.
Eat: Indulge in a true farm to table experience at Hasbrouck House's restaurant, Butterfield. The chef, who hails from Charleston, SC mainstay, Husk, takes pride in sourcing local ingredients to craft a meal that truly reflects the restaurant's surroundings. Opt for the 8-course tasting menu (for only $75 pp, it's a great deal.). The selections change daily depending on what the chef has sourced that day from nearby farms and the hotel's garden but some highlights included the scotch egg, varieties of local beets and whole roasted local trout.
Wear: To keep warm, I wore the perfect plaid cape from J. Crew that matched my Hunter Boots (in Hunter Green). To take my look from day to night, I added a fur stole from the J. Crew x Net-A-Porter collection and vintage jewelry. Sunglasses are old Oliver Peoples and bag is Gucci.
